FSB says it detained a Swedish citizen in Russia, accuses him of fighting for Ukraine and plotting sabotage

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has detained a Swedish individual in the Pskov region, claiming he fought alongside Ukraine’s military forces during the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The agency alleges the man traveled to Russia, misrepresenting himself as intending to join the Russian Armed Forces, with the intention of carrying out sabotage at military installations.

According to the FSB, this Swedish citizen served as the leader of an unmanned aerial systems team within the 24th Separate Assault Battalion, an entity Russia has labeled as a terrorist organization, between February and June 2026. The agency asserts there are records to substantiate his involvement in combat operations against Russia as part of Ukraine’s armed forces.

However, the FSB has withheld the detainee’s identity. Russian authorities have initiated a criminal investigation against him for unlawful border crossing, and the FSB intends to file a second charge for organizing terrorist activities and mercenary operations. On October 13, the FSB announced the arrest of Yuki Imai, a Japanese citizen and correspondent for Hokkaido Shimbun, in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk on espionage charges.

The Russian agency accused Imai of gathering intelligence on the mobilization or volunteer enlistment of residents from the Kuril Islands for the war in Ukraine.